Macallan Rare Cask Review

This is a NAS release from Macallan a little over a year ago. It’s made up of 16 first-fill sherry casks and bottled at 43% ABV.

Nose: A true sherry bomb with waves of oloroso and raisins flying at you. Very sweet nose with a hint of smoke/tobacco. Malted barley tucked beneath the layers of sherry along with some cherries, vanilla, and apricot.

Palate: Super sweet sherry up front with tobacco and spices developing nicely. Stewed fruits with black pepper and honey. Very little oak leading me to believe these casks were fairly young.

Finish: Very long – a good mix of spice and sweeter notes.

Rating: 90/100 – Doesn’t compare to some of the legendary sherry bombs, but I’m very impressed.

Value for the money: I’ve seen this as low as $270 and I think it’s pretty close to the sweet spot there. If this was under $200, I’d buy one for sure.